Safety signal for firearms



Dec. 14, 1937. 5 CONNIFFE 2,102,195

SAFETY SIGNAL FOR FIREARMS Filed Aug. 12, 1956 m 170776725 (Z7272 zffs,

Attorneys Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety signals for firearms such as shot guns, etc., and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set 5 forth, novel means for automatically and unfailingly indicating when the firearm is loaded.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a safety signal of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable, compact, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an intermediate portion of a shot gun equipped with the present invention, showing said shot gun open or broken.

Figure 2 is a view substantially similar to Figure 1 but showing the shot gun closed with the signal in raised or operative position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the breech block and the adjacent portion of the shot gun barrel broken away in section to expose the indicator, the shot gun being empty and said indicator consequently being in retracted or inoperative position.

Figure 4 is a detail view in top plan of the signal.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral I designates generally an intermediate portion of a shot gun. The breech block 2 of the shot gun I has formed in the upper portion thereof a groove 3 which, 4 when said shot gun is closed, communicates with the barrel 4 thereof, as illustrated to advantage in Figure 3 of the drawing.

The reference numeral 5 designates an indicator in the form of a metallic bar which is piv- 45 otally mounted at its forward end on a pin 6 in the groove, said pin traversing said groove.

Projecting forwardly from the pivoted end of the indicator 5 is an integral cam l which, when a shell 8 is inserted in the barrel 4 and the gun is 50 closed, is engageable by said shell for actuation thereby. In other words, the cam 'l is disposed in the path of the rear end of the shell 8 when the gun is closed.

Also formed integrally with the pivoted end of the indicator 5 is a depending shoulder 9 A coil spring I0 is mounted longitudinally in the lower portion of the groove 3 and has one end engaged with the rear end wall of said groove and 5 its other end engaged with the depending shoulder 9 for yieldingly urging the indicator 5 downwardly toward retracted or inoperative position and for projecting the cam l forwardly into the path of the shell 8.

It is thought that the operation of the invention will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. When the gun is not loaded and closed the cam 1 projects into the barrel 4 thereof and the indicator 5 is substantially concealed in the groove 3. However, when a shell 8 is inserted in the breech and the gun is closed, the rear end of said shell engages the cam l and forces the same downwardly and rearwardly in a manner to elevate the indicator 5 out of the groove 3 to substantially the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing against the tension of the coil spring Ill thereby clearly indicating that the gun is loaded.

It is believed that the many advantages of a firearm safety signal constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A shot gun having a breech block provided in the upper portion thereof with a groove adapted when the shot gun is closed to communicate with the barrel of the gun, a pin traversing said groove, a lever within said groove and pivoted at its forward end on said pin, said lever having an integral portion projecting forwardly and inwardly of the pivoted end to provide a forwardly disposed cam and a depending shoulder, and a heliical spring extending longitudinally of the lower portion of the groove with one end engaged with the rear wall of the groove and its other end engaged with the said depending shoulder for yieldably positioning said lever with its cam end disposed forwardly of the groove in the direction of the barrel and its other end housed within the said groove.

ROBERT BRAUGHTON CONNIFFE. 

